RECG The Rebellion Era
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Rebellion Era Campaign Guide See also: Eras of Play 0 to 5 Years after ''A New Hope'' The Rebellion Era Campaign Guide focuses on roleplaying in the classic era of Star Wars. The Rebellion Era is depicted in the original Star Wars trilogy, which tells the tale of Luke Skywalker joining The Rebel Alliance and bringing down The Galactic Empire. Possibly the most iconic era in the saga's history, The Rebellion Era teems with themes and and individual aspects that even casual Star Wars fans recognize instantly. Setting a game in The Rebellion Era means playing in a time of great heroes such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa, battling the same enemies that they fought, and struggling with the same dangers that they faced. A Rebellion Era Campaign differs from other campaigns in a variety of ways. Although it shares a common enemy with The Dark Times (The Empire), The Rebellion Era does not pit the heroes against the entire galaxy without some help. Instead, it allows them to be a part of something greater than themselves. That said, they likely face greater dangers than do heroes of a Dark Times Campaign. The Death Stars are but two of the Empire's superweapons, developed as part of the Tarkin Doctrine to strike fear into the hearts of its enemies. In addition, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine have an iron grip on the galaxy, and they have swayed (Some would say brainwashed) much of its leadership into accepting and enforcing Palpatine's New Order. The Rebellion Era Campaign Guide assumes that the heroes belong to The Rebel Alliance, either at the onset of the campaign or shortly after it begins. Of course, many options exist for play in The Rebellion Era, and other Reference Books in the Saga Edition line cover other types of campaigns.This book describes life in the Alliance, hiding and fighting the Empire. The heroes of such a campaign perform as many great deeds as heroes such as Han Solo and Princess Leia, and make their own difference in the struggles of the Rebellion. Over the course of a campaign, the heroes fight the Empire, rise to prominence, and help free the galaxy from the clutches of tyranny. Of course, not every hero begins his or her career with The Rebel Alliance. Like Han Solo, heroes in a Rebellion Era Campaign might start out as everyday citizens, smugglers, or even Imperial soldiers. However, they are drawn inexorably closer to the Rebellion with each passing adventure. Even if the heroes never join the Alliance officially, it is highly likely that they will become entangled in the conflict with the Empire. A Time of Rebellion The largest element that distinguishes The Rebellion Era from The Dark Times is the presence of The Rebel Alliance. Also known as the Alliance to Restore the Republic, the organization is dedicated to ridding the galaxy of the tyranny of The Galactic Empire. However, since the Empire still has a merciless grip on untold worlds, the Rebellion must operate in secret. Most of The Rebel Alliance is organized into decentralized cells that receive instructions from Alliance leaders only sporadically. Within these cells are individual heroes who have given up their normal lives in service of The Rebel Alliance. They live in the shadow of the Empire's power, lying low until the time comes to strike. Many cells operate openly on remote worlds, escaping the Empire's notice until they rise to action. The life of a Rebel is hard; it demands sacrifice and tough work. In the end, the soldiers of the Rebellion know that they have left their former lives for a purpose, and that one day all the hardships they have endured will result in the downfall of The Galactic Empire. The Rebellion Era lasts for only about eight and a half years, from the foundation of The Rebel Alliance until the capture of Coruscant under The New Republic. This period, also called the Galactic Civil War, pits the Alliance against the Empire in a struggle to free the galaxy. The following section highlights some of the major events in The Rebellion Era that serve as milestones in galactic history. The Corellian Treaty The Rebellion Era officially begins with the signing of the Corellian Treaty, the document that founded The Rebel Alliance. The three primary founders are Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Garm Bel Iblis. Having been brought together under false pretenses by agents of Darth Vader, the governments of Chandrila, Alderaan, and Corellia agree to form an alliance, pooling the resources of their resistance groups to form the Rebellion. Shortly thereafter, The Rebel Alliance issues the Declaration to Restore the Republic, a political document that makes clear the purpose and mission of the new organization. With the publication of the Declaration, hundreds of resistance cells begin springing up on Imperial planets throughout the galaxy. With three major worlds willing to take a stand against the Empire, others find the resolve to resist as well. The Death Star Plans The early years of the Rebellion see some success. One of the most notable accomplishments is the theft of the plans for the newly completed Death Star. The leaders of The Rebel Alliance have known about the existence of The Death Star since before the organization's founding- in fact, several of them had been held hostage on the incomplete station before the signing of the Corellian Treaty. But on Scarif, Rebel agents steal the plans and transmit them to the Alliance. The plans eventually make their way to the Tantive IV, the ship carrying Leia Organa. The capture of the plans is the first step toward bringing down the Empire, setting off a chain of events that eventually leads to the Emperor's death. The Battle of Yavin The Death Star Plans fall into the hands of a young farmboy from Tatooine named Luke Skywalker. After Alderaan is destroyed in retribution for its rebellion, Luke rescues Princess Leia and arrives at Yavin 4. Shortly thereafter, the Battle of Yavin takes place, resulting in the destruction of The Death Star. Not only is this the first major blow that the Rebellion lands against the Empire, but it also brings Skywalker- and Han Solo- into the Alliance. The Battle of Yavin inspires more systems to join the Rebels and marks the start of a time when the Empire begins to take the Rebellion seriously. The Battle of Derra IV The Rebel Alliance suffers its first crushing defeat above Derra IV. Imperial forces ambush a Rebel supply convoy, destroying it. The convoy's destruction is a major blow to the Rebels' supply chain and leaves them shorthanded at their new base on Hoth. The Battle of Derra IV ends the euphoria the Alliance had felt since its victory at Yavin and sets up a defeat that nearly unravels the Rebellion a short time later. The Battle of Hoth The Rebel defeat at the Battle of Hoth is the first in a series of events that comes close to eliminating several of the Alliance's greatest heroes. With Echo Base understaffed as a result of the convoy ambush at Derra IV, the Empire overruns the base and scatters its occupants to the far reaches of the galaxy. More important, the battle sets off a sequence of events that leads to the capture of Rebel leader Han Solo and nearly results in the loss of both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Fortunately, Lando Calrissian's assistance on Cloud City foils Darth Vader's plans, leaving Luke and Leia free to fight another day. The Capture of The Suprosa During the search for Han Solo, the Rebellion chances upon knowledge of a freighter, The Suprosa, which transports more than its manifest indicates. In truth, the ship carries information about the construction of the second Death Star, and the Alliance learns that the Emperor is overseeing the final stages of its construction. Combining this knowledge with technical readouts of the battle station, the Rebellion hatches a plan to strike a decisive blow against the Empire. The Battle of Endor After Luke, Leia, and others rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the time for the attack comes at last. As the Alliance sabotages the Death Star's shield generator on Endor, the Rebel fleet assaults the incomplete space station. However, the ships fly into a trap, and only through the guile of Rebel leaders such as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian does the Alliance fight through to victory. Shorty before the station's destruction, Luke Skywalker redeems Darth Vader, who in turn slays the Emperor. With the second Death Star destroyed and the Emperor dead, the Alliance finally claims the upper hand in the Galactic Civil War. The Birth of The New Republic The Rebellion Era comes to a close with the establishment of The New Republic. Following the victory at Endor, the Alliance still has a fight to win back the many worlds under Imperial control. Over two years after the Battle of Endor, members of Rogue Squadron engineer the capture of Coruscant, and The New Republic seizes control of the seat of galactic power. With the new government legitimized, opposition from the remnants of the Empire fragments, allowing The New Republic to establish freedom as the galactic standard once more. An Empire at its Peak Another major difference between The Rebellion Era and The Dark Times is that during The Rebellion Era, the Empire has reached its full power. Its grasp on the galaxy is like iron, and even the most distant reaches of known space have been converted to the New Order. As a result, there are very few safe places to hide from the Empire. Although some spaceports and out-of-the-way worlds might have only a small Imperial presence, there are still Imperial forces on nearby planets, as well as sector task forces jumping from system to system in search of Rebel activity. The Empire hasn't staged a military occupation of the entire galaxy; instead, it has converted the cultures and philosophies of many worlds to the New Order. Young men and women grow up dreaming about attending the Imperial military academies, and noble families of the galaxy vie with one another for the Empire's favor. Local bureaucrats have become Imperial officials with the full might of the Empire at their backs. Humanocentrism (The view that Humans are the most important Species in the galaxy) is at an all-time high, encouraged by Emperor Palpatine as a means of controlling the populace. Indeed, many of the galaxy's citizens are more than simply the subjects of Imperial tyranny- they are willing participants. Citizens' organizations such as COMPNOR indoctrinate people into believing that it is their civic duty to serve unquestioningly and to abandon personal freedom in order to strengthen the Empire. The military, cultural, and political strength of The Galactic Empire makes the Rebellion's task especially important. Within two decades, the Empire has transformed worlds that once backed the Republic into supporters of Emperor Palpatine. The Rebel Alliance knows that with each passing day, the Empire grows stronger. In many ways, this is the galaxy's most desperate hour, as countless worlds teeter on the edge of forgetting what freedom was like.